Gemcity Presents
by onekisstotakewithmex
Summary: McGee gets Tony and Ziva to present at his book reading... based on OTP Prompt: "Your OTP having their lives written into a best-selling novel by their hardcore shipper friend… Your OTP having to do a reading of it in front of hundreds of people." from @otpdisaster on tumblr. Tiva, references to 3x08, 7x0, and 7x13, set sometime after "Jet Lag" (tongue-in-cheek ref to s13 finale)


"I'm actually going to kill him," Ziva was patting at his shirt, where he'd spilled his drink after Tim had handed them the reading. It wasn't coming out, but apparently it worked in the scene anyway.

McGee had a reading, as Gemcity, and he'd recruited (volunteered? Volun _told_?) Tony and Ziva to be their characters Tommy and Lisa- the characters who according to Tim was not them.

"If I do not lay my hands on him first. There will be nothing left for you to kill."

"And we actually have to go out there and essentially read McFanboy's scenes to the audience? I thought this was about LJ Tibbs and his paramours."

"Apparently there was a large fanrace-,"

"Fanbase, sweetcheeks."

"And since they objected so strongly to Gemcity planning on killing Lisa, McGee instead decided to write her a happy ending."

"Well if I were Tim, I wouldn't have tried to kill you. Most writers have more sense."

"Writers in general do not have much sense, yes?"

"Come on Ziva, think of it as undercover work. We're good at that."

She giggled, "Like the time we were married?"

Tim ducked back stage at that point, ignoring the twin glares that Tony and Ziva were sending his way.

"McGemcity, remind me again why you had to write about Ziva and I? And not… I don't know… anyone else? Like Gibbs and…. Kate?"

"Kate's dead, Tony. And what does that have to do with Gibbs?"

Tony stared, an eyebrow raised, "You never noticed….?"

"Nevermind. It's time. And Tibbs has his lieutenant colonel. I'll read the narration."

"McGee if this is a sex scene, the only thing you will be reading is your obituary," Ziva crossed her arms.

"Listen to the lady, she's armed."

McGee rolled his eyes, before going back in front of the curtain.

"And up next, we have Thom E. Gemcity, doing a dramatic reading from his latest book on LJ Tibbs, featuring the characters Tommy and Lisa."

"Hi everyone, I'm Thom, and I'll be reading an emotional scene with Tommy and Lisa in Paris. As you all remember, at the end of the last book, Lisa was thought to be dead."

"He _did_ try to kill me." Fire blazed in Ziva's eyes. Tony didn't want to be Tim when he found out.

They rolled eyes at each other, before heading out to general applause. Tim cleared his throat, and privately Tony had to admit that he had gathered a pretty big crowd.

And then he realized that he was going to have to perform in front of the four hundred people Tim was saying had come.

" _They were standing across from each other, the city lights of Paris illuminating Lisa's face, and Tommy was staring, because while the light shone behind her head like a halo, her face was in shadow. He could've sworn she was a ghost, but he wanted to reach out and make sure…"_

"Lisa, I thought you were dead." He cleared his throat, suddenly having trouble swallowing. Stage fright, probably. Not the thought of Ziva dead.

"You thought wrong."

"You were supposed to be dead, Z- Lisa. They said… the place burned to the ground. No one could have survived. Even you."

"Clearly Tommy, you do not know much about me. We are trained to survive anything."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She looked him in the eye, "How was I supposed to?"

"I thought you were dead. Not an easy thing to recover from. Why didn't you come to me, Lisa?"

"I could not put you in danger. I have risked too much already."

"Now isn't the time to be noble!"

"Why do you think I came?"

"I don't know." His voice was ragged. "Why did you come?"

 _"_ _He longed to take her hand, or anything, because she looked so very scared at his reaction. He didn't know whether to walk away from her or kiss her."_

"You didn't move on. Why?"

"You can't move on after a loss like that."

"Even you?"

"Even me. I'm not made of stone."

"Why didn't you find someone else?"

"Because I…" he paused, the words so familiar, "I couldn't live without you, Lisa." And he was flashed back to the desert, how he _had_ thought she was dead. How those words had slipped from his mouth, in a candor moment, thanks to truth serum. Had she forgotten? The look in her eyes said she hadn't.

"I… I do not know what to say."

"Tell me you love me. To start."

"I can't." Her voice cracked, and he looked up, worry flashing in her eyes. She stared, her mouth in a thin line.

He grabbed her by the shoulders as Tim mentioned it. But he was forgetting, the words not his own, but spilling out of his mouth all the same. "You know how I feel Lisa. I'll beg if I have to. Imagine that."

"I could never reduce the famous Tommy to begging before. Why now?"

"Because I missed you. Because I thought you were dead. And somehow you came back to me. But I think you know the reason, Lisa."

She took a deep breath. "I love you." He knew it was Lisa, it was a line, but the words just came to him, as easily as if he'd written them instead of Tim.

"I love you. And I've been waiting too long to do this."

Tim cleared his throat, " _And then Tommy pulled her into a kiss. One that said everything."_

Tony met Ziva's eyes, and she raised her eyebrows. He pulled her into a quick kiss, but just like their undercover op, he relaxed into the kiss.

When he pulled away, he said. "I went to all the places we said we'd go. Here. In Paris. Our city."

"I am here. I hope that is enough."

"Of course it is. It has always been enough."

"It will not be easy."

"Not easy? Of course not. It's not supposed to be. But if it's right… it doesn't matter."

Tim closed the book, and as he did so, Tony grabbed Ziva's hand on impulse, and squeezed. She looked up, surprise showing on her face. But he dropped it, and whatever it was disappeared before anything could happen.

"Thanks guys."

"McGee?"

"You are so dead." Tony said.

"You tried to kill me?" Ziva was staring.

"It's impossible to kill you, Ziva. And- no. I didn't!"

Tony and Ziva exchanged another look, before Ziva grinned. Tim's eyes went wide.

She smiled and pulled out her knife, "Start running, McGee."


End file.
